His personality as the God-man.

o me  William Comments  Thank you, Wiliam. Just working at the Gmail accessing the new avenue. Brendan sending for tomorrow Mass. Don.

Dear Father Donald,
I did so enjoy this excerpt of K Adams, and for me the key phrase on the Eucharist must be:
Jesus shares with His disciples His most intimate possession, the most precious thing that He has, His own self, His personality as the God-man.Thank you!
With my love in Our Lord,
William
[Hoping that this may reach you via gmail]

Baldwin Cistercian COMMENT from William

Canterbury_Cathedral_Cloisters,_Kent,_UK

   

FOURTH WEEK OF EASTER

THURSDAY  Year I

30 April 2015

Second Reading

From a treatise by Baldwin of Canterbury (Tract.4: PL 204, 429-431.441-442)

The two resurrections

Our Lord's glorious resurrection teaches us that the fruits of obedience are resurrection and life. These were the fruit of the obedience practiced by Christ who is the resurrection and the life personified.

----- Forwarded Message -----

From: William J .....
To: Donald ...... 
Sent: Thursday, 30 April 2015, 17:05
Subject: Re: Baldwin Cistercian 

Dear Father Donald,

Your comment:

Two Resurrections... needs some enlightenment of Baldwin's explanation.

Please may I respond, for the extract fascinates me...

The burden of a twofold mortality [one, by virtue of being a descendant of Adam, the second, of our having fallen of ourselves]

... a single resurrection is not enough to bring us to the blessed life of heaven. We need two.

It is by our faith in and our sacramental imitation of the resurrection of Christ [our earthly ‘conversio’], the resurrection of our soul, through which we are now dead to sin and live for holiness, walking in newness of life... glorying in nothing other than in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ...

As we wait for that redemption of our bodies, at last fully realizing our adoption as God's children, that will take place at the second resurrection [heavenly resurrection], when Christ will refashion these wretched bodies of ours and make them like his own glorious body... that endures for all eternity, a glory that knows no end...

Might that be summed up: [1] if our desire for God is faithfully lived and by heart ‘raised up’, [2] it will lead by God’s grace to the heavenly fulfilment of our desire to see His Face and to be embraced in His Love...

In these thoughts my mind has been enraptured by the passage from Luisa Piccarreta’s ‘The Holy Mass and Bodily Resurrection’ – that text has quite absorbed me.

THANK YOU Father. May all be well with you.

With my love in Our Risen Lord,

William

Epiphany: 4 Sun. 2nd Sunday arter Christmas

Christ has been born for us: come, let us adore him.

Year: B(I). Psalm week: 2.

Liturgy Offices Booklet (Nunraw ocso).

COMMENTS from William. [Thank you]. . .

 

Sancta Maria Abbey: http://www.nunraw.com.uk (Website)  
Blogspot :http://www.nunraw.blogspot.co.uk |

domdonald.org.uk 

Fw: The Nativity story - William Hole's paintings (1-8)

  

On Saturday, 3 January 2015, 9:45, William J . . .  wrote:

Dear Father Donald,     

 

Truly a delight, I have the book of the paintings by William Hole on a bookrest in my room, turning the pages as the Nativity story unfolds!  

I have found (variable quality) internet copies of the main events so far (contd next email)  

    Just for the pleasure of sharing this delight with you!

With my love in the Child Jesus,

William

 

The Epiphany Revealed!

Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio   

This commentary on the Feast of the Epiphany uncovers the meaning of the term epiphany and explains why the Magi -- Caspar, Balthasar, Melchior, the three kings of Orient -- are found, complete with crowns and camels, in every nativity scene.

Caspar, Balthasar, Melchior.  These “three kings of Orient are” found, complete with crowns and camels, in every nativity scene.

Yet if you look closely at the gospel account of the Magi (Mat 2:1-12), you won’t find these names. Actually there is no mention of how many Magi there were or that they were kings riding camel-back.

This is a testimony to something some Bible Christians would like to deny: that all who read a text of Scripture do so in the light of some tradition, through some lens.  If it is the right lens, it magnifies the text and allows us to get at its true meaning.  If it is the wrong lens, we get a distorted image.

It just so happens that the lens the Catholic tradition uses to read the story flows from Scripture itself–to be precise, it flows from the connection between holy words written hundreds of years apart.  But despite the many years and different human authors, the texts were inspired by the same Divine Author, the Holy Spirit.  In chapter 60 of Isaiah (Is 60:1-6), it is predicted that at a time of darkness, the glory of the Lord will shine overJerusalem.  The heavenly light will be a beacon to the pagan nations and even to their kings.  Here we find mention of camels whose job it will be to bring the wealth of these nations, including frankincense and gold, to the city of the Lord.  Psalm 72 agrees that far off kings will bring gifts to the Son of David.

The tradition of the Church has always seen the story of the Magi as a fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy and Psalm 72.  Hence the crowns and camels.

But hold on.  Isaiah 60 mentions only two of the gifts mentioned by Matthew: gold, fit for a king, and frankincense, for the worship of God.  So what about the myrrh–where does that come from and what does it mean?

Myrrh, an aromatic resin, was used in preparing the dead for burial.  Gold reveals that the babe in the manger is actually a king; frankincense tells us that is he God incarnate; myrrh tells us that he has come to die.  That someone would redeem God’s people through suffering and death was foretold by Isaiah a few chapters earlier (Is 53).  This was the really hard thing for those living in Jesus’ time to comprehend–that the same person who fulfilled all those prophecies about a glorious new king also fulfilled the prophecies about a suffering servant.

All three gifts of the Magi are necessary to convey the true revelation, the true epiphany of who this child is and what he is destined to do.  That’s why for hundred’s of years we’ve sung of three kings, not two or four.

OK, so where did the names of the three come from?

The ancient feast of the Epiphany actually celebrates three events, tied together by the meaning of the word epiphany as “appearance” or “manifestation.”   Jesus suddenly appears as who He really is–messiah and God–to the Magi, at Cana when he works his first miracle, and when he is baptized in theJordan.  In the early Church, Epiphany was therefore second only to Easter vigil as the time to celebrate the sacrament of baptism.  Blessed water from those baptisms were used to bless the dwellings of the faithful, and it became customary to write over the doorposts of blessed homes “C+B+M” meaning “Christ blesses this house (Christus bendicat mansionem).”  Since the three kings were also remembered at the same time, someone decided to give them names, and to use CBM as their initials–Caspar, Balthasar, and Melchior.  The names stuck.

But the fact that Matthew gives them no names is telling.  They may be kings, but in this story they are merely supporting actors.  They follow the true Star, the King of Kings.  Only His name is important.  Epiphany is not about the Magi–it’s all about Jesus.

For Spanish, click here!

This article on the Feast of the Epiphany originally appeared in OSV and is reproduced here by permission of the author.

For other resources on The Feast of Epiphany be sure to check out:

The Feast of Epiphany by Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio

Epiphany of the Heart by Dr. Marcellino D'Ambrosio

Epiphany - Star Invites All Nations by St. Leo the Great

Epiphany - Magi, Cana and Jordon by St. Peter Chrysologus

 

Three_Kings_Bearing_Gifts

Published on 19 Dec 2014

We are called to be Stars of Bethlehem, leading men and women to Christ. The chief vocation of the Church is to proclaim the Good News to all nations. How do I share in that great vocation?

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The parable of the talents. Fr. Raymond

COMMMENT:
Dear William,
Thank you for the response to the Email on the Parable of the Talents.
Your own inspiring quest of the trail on the third Talent set us on the trail.
The Homiletic prayer talk of Fr. Raymond by passes the supposed barriers.
And to crown your comments illuminate it more.
God bless
Fr. Doanld

 

St. Ninian Cave 31 Aug 2014

Fw: Fw: The parable of the talents. 
Homily of Father Raymond. 

Sancta Maria Abbey: http://www.nunraw.com.uk (Website)    
Blogspot :http://www.nunraw.blogspot.co.uk |

domdonald.org.uk 

On Saturday, 30 August 2014, 22:36, 

William ...> wrote:

Dear Fathers,

What a very fine homily Father Raymond! There lies the wonder of Grace, drawing out our responsiveness, to the fulfilment of God's investment in each and every one.

It doesn't lie in human 'measurement' (as I might, alas, have again misread... 'much given, much expected') but in the encouragement to fulfil the give of God's love, freely given - the Key words, the very title of your homily!

Oh I delight in, and will always remember, your 'coin of virtue' - the brass coin of humility, the silver coin of self sacrifice, 'all the way up to the gold coin of pure love' - what an investment in mankind!! 'All have the wealth of God's grace at their disposal' - such Talents beyond counting are truly 'priceless', 'available to the poorest of the poor and the richest of the rich'.

As ALWAYS, your homily contains a challenge...."How do we reach into the purse of our souls to bring out that coin [of love]?" and even more challenging, "How do we offer it to buy God's grace for ourselves - and for others of course?" The Talent has changed from something invested to something we are to invest! And - perhaps - one must add, to be invested wisely, else we buy negative equity, that is the bitterness and the reproach of love's envy, possession, jealousy, etc? "the painful realities of life on this earth". Can the gold coin of love ever be without impurities until it is cast into the heavenly fire of God's love?...

So, as Christ 'goes on His journey' and entrusts His gifts to men, are we bold enough - and humble enough and faithful enough - to take up His challenge, and expand our desire or do we bury it in our own lack of faith and commitment?

In modern parlance, if He is 'talent spotting' will his choice include us and recommend us to others?

That has been a wonderful excursion, THANK YOU indeed. I am the wiser for it, and I hope... the richer.

With my love in Our Lord,

William

----Original message----
From :Fr. Raymond    
Date : 30/08/2014 - 18:33 (GMTDT)
To : william   
Subject : Fw: The parable of the talents 

ALL THAT’S BEST IS FREE

           “Come to the water all you who are thirsty; though you have no money, come!  Buy corn without money, and wine and milk at no cost!”

          This is one of the most beautiful and memorable sayings of Scripture.  This “gem” of a saying from the Prophet Isaiah is one of the most telling images we have of the workings of Grace.  Did even the words of Jesus ever surpass it in all the beautiful word pictures he gave us of God’s grace?

          This saying of Isaiah tells us that even the poorest of the poor have all the wealth of God’s grace at their disposal and simply for the asking.  Even in nature all the best things are free: love, friendship, family, the air we breathe, the sun and moon and the stars.  How much more are the priceless gifts of God’s grace.  Like Adam and Eve in Paradise, we need only reach out to take their fruits.

          However, it must be admitted that there is a certain price to be paid for God’s so-called “free gifts”.  But it is a price that has to be paid in a ‘coin’ which is as much available to the poorest of the poor as it is to the richest of the rich.  It is the ‘coin’ of virtue.  And the coin of virtue has many denominations;  from the brass coin of humility, to the silver coin of self sacrifice, and all the way up to the gold coin of pure love.  And each and every one of these coins can be found in the ‘money-bag of our own souls. And each and every one of us is free to spend it.  In this sense, everyone is a millionaire!

          But to consider now the most precious of these coins: the coin of love.  “Nothing can come between us and the love of Christ” as St Paul tells us in the second reading today.  That is Christ’s love for us.  But what about our love for Christ?  How do we reach into the purse of our souls to bring out that coin?  How do we offer it to buy God’s grace for ourselves – and for others of course?

          St Paul has a well known passage on love in his First Letter to the Corinthians.  But some of  the things he says about it are rather off-putting.  He says that love doesn’t envy, it doesn’t boast, it’s not rude, or easily angered; it doesn’t bear grudges etc.  Now if Heaven is to be a kingdom of love, is that what heaven is going to be like;  with everybody going around not envying, not boasting, not being angry, not bearing grudges etc.!?  A very negative kind of existence that!  But these things are not so much ‘love’ as the reaction of ‘love’ to the painful realities of life on this earth.  These are descriptions, not of the essence of love, but of how love copes with adversity.  But in heaven, of course, there will be no adversties.  How then can we define love simply and purely in itself , for what it is in its own essence?  If I would dare to attempt such a definition I would put it something like this “Love is the enjoyment of communion of life with another.”  “All I have and all I am is yours and I know that all you have and all you are is mine.  Come let us enjoy it together.”

This ‘definition’ can be applied to our life with God, whether on earth or in heaven.  And surely, to grasp it and to practice in can make even our life on earth a true beginning of heaven.  It is perhaps summed up in that other saying of St Paul: “Whether you eat or whether you drink do it all for the glory of God.”

          We could hardly begin each day better than with these words on our lips: “All I am and all that I have, Lord, is yours.  And I know that all you are and all that you have is mine.  Come let us live it and enjoy it together this day.”   

------------------------------------------------------------- 

Notes. 

The surfing on some high waves -. 

1. Joachim Jeremias, The Parables of Jesus, maybe  regarded as the definitive book on this subject. Matthew. p.58 ff.

2. Sacra Pagina, Gospel of Matthew, D. J. Harrington S.J., Interpretation p.352 ff.

3. Knox-Cox, The Gospel Story, Harmony Mt. 25; 14-30, Lk. 19:11-27

Tuesday of the Fifth week of Lent. Saint Nerses Chnorhali, "You belong to what is below, I belong to what is above"

Nerses IV the Gracious

Fw: DGO stunning reflection    

William Comments 

On Tuesday, 8 April 2014, 

williamw > wrote:

Dear Father Donald,

Just to say that there is a stunning reflection today on DGO, a poem by:-

Saint Nerses Chnorhali (1102-1173), Armenian patriarch or Nerses Shnorhali [Wikipedia]

Nerses is remembered as a theologian, poet, writer and hymn composer. He has been called "the Fenelon of Armenia".

I am picturing you working by day in your book store, should a guest wing be in planning stage.

Yours,

William

Tuesday, 08 April 2014

Tuesday of the Fifth week of Lent

Commentary of the day : 

Saint Nerses Chnorhali (1102-1173), Armenian patriarch 
Jesus, Only Son of the Father, § 708-724 ; SC 203 

"You belong to what is below, I belong to what is above"

Because of sin, O innocent one,
You were set before the criminal's judgement seat;
When you return in the Father's glory
Do not judge me together with him.

You were put to scorn with sacrilegious spittle
On account of the first created man's shame;
Wipe away the dishonor of the impudent man's sins
With which my face is covered...

You have put on crimson,
Set the scarlet cloak over you
As a dishonor and an affront,
As Pontius Pilate's soldiers thought it to be (Mt 27,28).

Remove sin's shirt of hair from me,
Crimson red, color of blood,
Reclothe me in the garment of joy
With which you clothed the first man.

Kneeling, they made sport,
Fooling around, they mocked;
When they saw it, heaven's armies
Worshipped in fear.

This you underwent that you might remove
The shame of being sin's accomplice from Adam's nature in us
That, from my soul and my conscience,
You might suppress my sorrowing shame...

Following the judge's verdict,
You received the terrible blows of flagellation
Over your whole body
And on your limbs' every part.

As for me who, from foot to head
Suffer unbearable pain:
Be pleased to heal me once again
As through the grace of baptism's fount.

In exchange for the thorns of sin
That the curse caused to grow up for us (Gn 3,18)
A crown of thorns was set on your head
By the laborers in Jerusalem's vineyard (Mt 21,33f.).

Pull out the thorns of sin from me,
Which my enemy planted within me,
And heal in me the bite of the wound
That the marks of sin might be erased. 

website www.dailygospel.org

COMMENT: ‘Stations of the Cross’

'Stations of the Cross'
in Roscrea College

9^th March 2014-03-12        

Note from William and enclosed little pocket ‘Stations of the Cross’.

Hi, William,

Returned from the Eye Pavilion, (all well in Fr. Thomas' result),  your great surprise letter was delivered. The envelope was not franked, written on Sunday, and arrived on Tuesday.

Thank you for the Roscrea College pocket ‘Stations of the Cross’.

Yesterday, I stepped across to the Jesuit Church of Sacred Heart and I made The Way of the Cross. There hanging in glory are the large paintings, originally executed by Peter Rauth, a Bavarian artist around 1870, restored 1999. I did not have a camera to hand. In fact we have a set of the printed post-card size copies. See the Attachments.    

'The Stations of the Cross' in Church of Sacred Heart, Edinburgh

        

Spring lovely days - praise the Lord.

Yours ..

Donald

[Blog] Mary the Burning Bush Icon. COMMENT:

[Blog] Mary the Burning Bush Icon

COMMENT from William

On Sunday, 9 March 2014, 14:39,

William J. wrote:

Dear Father Donald,

What a fascinating icon! (I will savour it...). As fine art is a visual medium for reflection and meditation, Icons are the visual medium for leading into contemplation. As you have taught me there are some wonderful illustrations on Google [I searched on "Neopalimaya Kupina"], but I realize that had I skimmed them earlier, I would not have appreciated nor understood them -  there lies great subtlety and hidden meaning in the icon. If the artist is described as 'writing' an icon, then indeed we should 'read' it, and not just see it!

I think I would be quite content in my cave in the desert - with Icons on the walls, the Psalms in my memory, a Bible in my hand... but for the present, I really could not do without the internet in order to locate and understand the treasures I would wish to take with me!

It is such a delight to share in your Blog!

With my love in Our Lord,

William

To: William

From: Donald

Dear William,

Your immediate diving into the waves of the ocean of Icons.

Thank you.

You surmise it has been happening into a kind of unveiling of the prayer of Icon initiation from amazing writers.

For the first Sunday of Lent this morning the books for Lenten Reading was distributed to the monks.

For my book, it is Henri Nouwen' Prayer on Icons... Behold the Beauty of the Lord: Praying with Icons by Henri J. M. Nouwen 

In fact, Wendy Becket has already cultivated the ground with the Eight Mary Icons survived from the destruction of the tragic Iconoclasm. A good friend sent us the book, 'Encounters with God: In Quest of the Ancient Icons of Mary Wendy Beckett'

It is learning. In the links of Mary the Burning Bush also refers to the the book of 'Spiritual Letters of Sr. Wendy'. It may have more instruction for  icon novices.

Thank you for the insightful encouraging.

God bless.

Donald   

PS. St John Ogilvie our feast tomorrow.

Tomorrow, we begin Novena of St. Joseph (Scotland Solemnity) for Vocations.

COMMENT: and Keswick Lake view

---- Forwarded Message ---

Keswick-and-Derwent-Water-from-
surprise-view-lake-district-
national-park-cumbria-england

Date: Sat, 19 Oct 2013 ...
From: William ...
To: Donald....
Subject: North America Martyrs - commentary by St. Raphael Baron. 

Dear Father Donald,

 

I see from your Blog that you located the article - St Raphael Baron has a way of expressing things that is both deeply attractive and meaningful. An extraordinary young man.

. . .

 My friend Colonel Jim invited me to join him at Mass on Friday in Keswick, no requirement to visit Carlisle. He now lives on the ridge before the lakes, at a place called 'Troppenna' but spelt 'Torpenhow'! I wonder how such place names originated. I went on the early bus and arrived there in time. He then walked me down to the lake - magnificent views of the Lakeland hills, autumn colours beginning: a great treat. He remembers so well your welcome and his tour of the Abbey when he brought me, and was full of questions regarding my retreat. A solitary soul on his own journey, a privilege to share.

 

... in Our Lord,

William

COMMENT: Christian Unity

Dear William,

Thank you for Christian Unity sharing.

This evening, the Chapter Room, the Abbot's talk quoted from a Subiaco Benedictine  of Chilworth. "The good monk is is the best balance life if he has a 'chip' in both shoulders!" The Abbot was talking about the life of silence in the monastic life.

Maybe, there is an application here in the communion of Christian life.

And your words lead on to the Sirit of tenderheartedness.

 "Come and take My infinite tenderness. - '...dans Ma douceur infie'." (He AND i).

Yours ...

Donald

----- Forwarded Message -----
From: William W....
To: Donald....
Sent: Wednesday, 23 January 2013, 16:32
Subject: Christian unity ... abandon the cause, embrace the reality

Dear Father Donald,

This may not be a welcome comment [so please forgive and ignore me], but it arises too often for me not to present it to someone, and this is the only 'forum' I know:  I have a belief in a loving devotion to Our Lord regardless of whichever 'church' to which one 'belongs'... but to fulfil this bond of unity one thing greatly troubles me:

Christian Unity.... cannot be forged on the basis of dogma. The principles of disunity are the 'definitions' (especially over the 'Eucharist') and the 'devotions' (particularly 'Marian') and 'liturgical' (formalisation) - I experienced all three in becoming a Catholic. The 'poles apart' are extremes only observed at the level of heirarchy, or through dependant conservatism in the rank and file.

In the pews, where warm hearts welcome others, there are no such 'certainties' (!) on either side, rather all is determined by an individual's devotional response to Our Lord, which often is affected by upbringing and example, education and culture. Yes, each Church must needs 'define' its beliefs, but it is only at the deep intellectual level that the differences can form a barrier to unity. Intellectual arguments seldom agree (!), but those should not stand in the way of unity. Unity is the voice of the people, the crowds before the mount of the Beatitudes.

I have never walked into a room full of people who might agree on all matters of opinion (which is the common word for forms of belief), yet goodwill and acceptance of another's views draw all men together as a united humanity. Could the Church never allow personal devotion - well versed in its catechism, in its own belief - over the strictures of definitions?

Let us imagine that we together greet Our Lord on the shores of Galilee: we will all approach him in varied ways: there will be those who 'formalise' him, those who greet him with 'emotion', those who deeply 'reflect' on his presence. Why can't we all meet him, greet him, worship him together in our own way as the Spirit gives us? We are there, he is present, with no one analysing their system of belief.

The Eucharist is for me uniquely special, for my neighbour a memorial, for the other a sharing in the loaves and the fishes: but we can receive him all together in our own way?

Simplistically,

William